List of ice hockey players who died during their playing career
This is a list of ice hockey players who died during their playing careers. } || car accident || Fetisov was a sure bet to play with the Soviet Union at the 1986 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Hamilton and a strong candidate for selection in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft; his older brother, former NHLer Viacheslav Fetisov, was the driver in the accident. |- | 26 || || || || car accident || Philadelphia Flyers goalie played five seasons from 1981 until his death in 1985; Vezina Trophy recipient for 1984–85 NHL season; the Flyers created the Pelle Lindbergh Memorial and award it annually to the team's most improved player. |- | 18 || || || || car accident || Played for Bemidji High School, was the Calgary Flames' first-round pick (16th overall) in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft. Was named Minnesota Mr. Hockey in 1986 as the top high-school player in the state. |- | 20 || || || ||team bus accident||Killed when Swift Current Broncos team bus crashed on the way to a WHL game in Regina. The league awards the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy to its player of the year, partially in his honour. |- | 19 || || || ||team bus accident||Killed when Swift Current Broncos team bus crashed on the way to a WHL game in Regina. The league awards the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy to its player of the year, partially in his honour. |- | 20 || || || ||team bus accident||Killed when Swift Current Broncos team bus crashed on the way to a WHL game in Regina. The league awards the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy to its player of the year, partially in his honour. |- | 16 || || || ||team bus accident||Killed when Swift Current Broncos team bus crashed on the way to a WHL game in Regina. The league awards the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy to its player of the year, partially in his honour. Brother of Lindy Ruff. |- | 27 || || || || unknown, supposedly heart attack || Defenseman, played for Torpedo Togliatti (today club known as HC Lada Togliatti, KHL, Russia) during 1985-1988. Died during cross-country in training camp. |- | 19 || || || || motorcycle accident || Neil Carnes played three seasons in the QMJHL (1986-87 to 1988-89). In his third year, he was traded from the Verdun Junior Canadiens to the Laval Titan where he won the President's Cup.Drafted in the 3rd round (46th overall) by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1988 NHL entry draft, Carnes never got the chance to play in the NHL. He died in a tragic motorcycle accident in Plymouth, Michigan shortly after the 1989 Memorial Cup Tournament. Neil scored 79 goals and had 145 assists for a total of 224 points in 164 career QMJHL games. He was 19 years old at the time of his death. |- | 23 || || || || exposure || Drafted 20th overall in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders. Frozen body found in 2003. |- | 18 || || || || car accident || A candidate for the Soviet Nation Junior team; Vyacheslav Kozlov, then the top junior player in the country and current NHLer, was seriously injured in the same accident. |- | 26 || || || || on-ice spinal injury || Played in the Czechoslovak Extraliga. Chosen 115th overall in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Rangers. His death led to installation of no-touch icing in Europe. |- | 19 || || || || car accident || A promising defenseman with the world champion Commonwealth of Independent States national junior team and Drafted sixth round of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. |- | 19 || || || || died on the ice after being slashed in the chest by an opposing player, stopping his heart. || Played for HC Gardena in Italy's Serie B league. Jimmy Boni, the player who slashed him, was charged with culpable homicide in his death but later pled guilty to manslaughter. |- | 30 || || || || car accident || Played three games for the Quebec Nordiques in 1984–85. |- | 27 || || || || drug overdose || Played 7 seasons and 244 games in the NHL from 1985 to 1992, most notably with the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. Won Stanley Cup in 1986 with Montreal. |- | 25 || || || || car accident || Played fifteen games for the San Jose Sharks in 1991–92. |- | 29 || || || || stabbed to death || Played in the SEL for Västerås IK. |- | 28 || || || || on-ice neck and throat injuries || Played 53 SEL games for Djurgårdens IF and five seasons for Mora IK in the second-level league before the accident, which occurred during an exhibition game. |- | 25 || || || || aviation accident (TWA Flight 800) || Played in French national team in 1996 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. |- | 25 || || || || car accident || Played two seasons and sixteen games for the St. Louis Blues from 1993 to 1995. |- | 24 || || || || leukemia || Played three seasons and 35 games for the Philadelphia Flyers from 1991 to 1996, the Yanick Dupre Memorial is awarded annually by the Flyers organization. |- | 20 || || || || died after being struck in the chest by a puck during a game || Played in the SJHL at the time of his death. The PJHL Rookie of the Year trophy is named in his honour. |- | 29 || || || || heart attack || Played five seasons and 90 games in the National Hockey League for the Quebec Nordiques and Vancouver Canucks; he was awarded the Leo P. Lamoureux Memorial Trophy as the IHL's leading scorer in 1995. |- | 29 || || || || heart attack || Played nine seasons and 374 games in the National League A mostly for the HC Fribourg-Gotteron and ZSC Lions Zurich. |- | 32 || || || || car accident || Played thirteen seasons and 751 games in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Calgary Flames, Hartford Whalers and Carolina Hurricanes from 1986–87 to 1998–99. |- | 22 || || || || slashed jugular vein in boat accident|| Played 62 games for the Philadelphia Flyers in 1998–99. |- | 32 || || || || liver cirrhosis || Master of Sports, forward. Champion of Russia (1994, 1996), silver medalist of Russian championships (1993, 1995, 1997), winner of the European Cup (1997). Played for "Avtomobilist" Sverdlovsk, "SKA" Sverdlovsk, HC Lada Togliatti and the Russian national team. One of the annual Russian ice hockey tournaments for children named in his honour. Only 11-year-old players can participate in this tournament because Bezukladnikov played with this jersey number. |- | 22 || || || || car accident || Played for the Kentucky Thoroughblades (AHL). Won a bronze medal at the 1999 World Junior Championships in Winnipeg, Slovakia's first IIHF medal as an independent nation. |- | 22 || || || || suicide || Played for the Roanoke Express (ECHL) and OCN Blizzard (MJHL). Brother of NHLer Jordin Tootoo. |- | 24 || || || || suicide by hanging || Played four seasons in the NHL for the Dallas Stars and New York Rangers from 1999 to 2003. |- | 23 || || || || suicide || Chosen 159th overall at the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers. Was playing for the AHL's Syracuse Crunch at the time of his death. |- | 25 || || || || car accident || Played three seasons and 49 games for the Atlanta Thrashers from 2000 to 2003; the OHL renamed its Humanitarian of the Year award to the Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy in Snyder's honour; Dany Heatley was the driver in the accident. |- | 31 || || || || hypertrophic cardiomyopathy || Played ten seasons and 588 games in the National Hockey League for six teams from 1992–93 to 2003–04. |- | 18 || || || || on-ice accident || Played for Brigham Young University men's ice hockey. Was hit by a puck which stopped his heart. |- | 28 || || || || car accident || Drafted and played one game with Montreal Canadiens |- | 21 || || || || car accident || Drafted 120th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders. Played for the Sudbury Wolves and the Sarnia Sting of the OHL. |- | 22 || || || || car accident || Played for the Belarusian national team. |- | 30 || || || || car accident || Played in the Czech Extraliga. |- | 26 || || || || heart attack || Played for Associazione Sportiva Asiago Hockey. His former team, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, dedicated their Robo's Readers program in his memory. |- | 19 || || || || hypertrophic cardiomyopathy || Captain of the Windsor Spitfires in the OHL; chosen in the 5th round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames. |- | 21 || || || || motorcycle accident || Drafted 10th overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks; played 36 games in the NHL from 2006–2008. |- | 20 || || || || car accident || Played for the Newmarket Hurricanes of the OPJHL. Chosen in the fifth round of the 2004 OHL Priority Selection by the Kingston Frontenacs. |- | 21 || || || || Unknown || Central forward. Played for Russian national junior team, Dynamo Moscow (KHL, Russia) and Atlant Mytishchi (KHL, Russia) farm clubs. Died during cross-country in training camp. |- | 18 || || || || car accident || Played for KHL Zagreb in his homeland. Represented Croatia at two IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships. |- | 19 || || || || Myocarditis || Drafted 17th overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Rangers. In 2008 played for Omsk Avangard (KHL, Russia). Omsk retired his number seven. KHL award to top rookie of the year named in his honour. |- | 21 || || || || on-ice head injury || Played for the Whitby Dunlops of the Ontario Hockey Association. Struck head on ice during fight on December 12, 2008 and died three weeks later. |- | 34 || || || || heart attack || Played professionally for Alba Volán Székesfehérvár in Hungary. Was selected as best player in the league three times, and won scoring title three times. Scored 115 points in 187 games for the Hungarian national team. |- | 21 || || || || stabbing || Goaltender who played for Slavia Sofia in Bulgaria. Was a member of Bulgarian national team for two World Championships. |- | 28 || || || || brain cancer || Goaltender. Was drafted by the Washington Capitals in 2001. Champion of Germany in 2002–03 and 2006–07 seasons. Was a member of German national team. Played 127 games for his national team, participated in eight IIHF World Championships and two Winter Olympics in 2002 and 2006. Inducted into the German Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in March 2009. Kölner Haie retired his number 80. |- | 18 || || || || car accident || Forward. Played for HC Krilya Sovetov (MHL, Russia). |- | 22 || Matt Cook || || || bone cancer || Won a bronze medal at the 2009 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships playing for Canada. |- | 23 || Igor Misko || || || cardiac arrest while driving || Played for SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League. Died after having cardiac arrest while driving car in Kolpino region of St. Petersburg. |} See also Notes Category:Lists of ice hockey players